Digital Recruiting Now

Digital Recruiting Now

Posted by Jonas Barck on 20/06/2016

Digital transformation in Human Resources has developed rapidly, with many companies still looking to catch up. Data-driven decisions are a huge factor in assisting the improvement of recruiting efforts, which means recruiters need to become very acquainted with the best ways to execute their employer branding on digital channels.

A 2014 JobVite Job Seeker Nation Study revealed that while 94 percent of recruiters are active on LinkedIn, only 36 percent of job seekers follow suit. Social channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram haven’t exactly been associated or represented as dedicated career sites, but they are muscling their way into the top professional network league. Social media is a treasure-trove of passive talent, but you need to stop waiting for them to seek you out, you need to start engage them now. You need not look further than the likes of YouTube, where such megastars as Justin Bieber and Adele were discovered, to answer the questions about whether social channel recruiting and marketing can make an impact.

A definite consideration of social media as an engagement tool as opposed to only a promotional tool is strongly encouraged for recruiters. With the fading usage of job boards and third-party recruiting, as well as the virtual disappearance of print advertising, the digital recruitment process has fast become a social and more direct contact approach. Rather than a large-scale physical campaign strategy, daily online engagement through appropriate channels can lead to an effective showcase of your company.

Many of the larger companies are guilty of not using social channel recruiting to its full effect with one third of them failing to publish content on the likes of Facebook and YouTube. This is a big mistake, particularly with Facebook as 87% of 1.5 million talent globally said that they want to hear from employers via social media. The notion of telling stories regarding your company’s environment and culture is a strong strategy, especially now that potential employees have instant access to videos that lead us directly into companies’ offices, celebrity homes and private parties through the likes of Instagram. Let your target audience know what makes your company special. Invest in quality social media content by giving them the backstage pass or VIP treatment as it can prove vital in an attractive employer brand presence.

It is not just the global channels that employers should be considering. LinkedIn is not the be-all-end-all when it comes to finding the right talent. Large global companies are actually doing little to expand their message into regionally specific channels or niche platforms such as WeChat, Renren and Weibo which connect the masses with a very personal touch. When organizations meet their potential employees on a social level, one benefit is that it will immediately become apparent what is working and what isn’t. Experimental social strategies can be worthwhile in perfecting your social recruitment.

With almost half of CEO’s saying that they’re planning to increase headcounts in 2017, it is critically important to navigate more channels whilst evolving and adapting through the transition of becoming successful socially active recruiters.

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